By Patricia Abraham BUSINESS OF THE
Husband and wife team Latisha and Earl Chestnut are the owners of Max Speed Performance & Fitness, the only youth and adolescent training facility in South Carolina.
The couple both graduated from Benedict College with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation and Rehabilitation minor. Latisha retired from Prisma Health after 20 years as a recreation therapist working with kids and adolescents with mental illnesses in Behavioral Care. Latisha is responsible for the administration services for Max Speed Performance & Fitness.
Earl started his coaching career with Pop Warner football, followed by coaching high school track & field at Cardinal Newman. He then transitioned to Team Blaze, a travel track & field team.
The couple decided to put their skills to use in their own business, since they both have a background in recreation therapy and two children who are heavily involved in sports.
Earl noticed that a lot of the issues with young athletes was not the coaching. “It was just that they didn’t have the athletic ability,” he said. “With kids now on cell phones and video games, they are not outside playing.”
He conducted a study to confirm his hunch.
“I did a study,” Earl recalled. “I drove around the Camden, Columbia and Lexington areas and none of the playgrounds had kids on them…no outside activity.”
“Kids develop a lot of their athletic abilities from playing,” he continued, “hanging on the monkey bars, sliding boards, and those things. And now with these video games they are not moving. They are not running. They are not jumping. They wait until they get in middle school and decide they want to play sports, but they haven’t done anything in their younger years to prepare.”
“These are the crop of kids that coaches have to pick from, Earl said. “Coaches are teaching the sports, but the kids do not have the athletic ability. They do not have hand, eye, feet coordination. The coaches are calling plays and yelling at the kids, but the kids cannot physically do it. So, we need to focus on the kids, how to help them be more athletic, rather than teaching them a sport. Teach them how to be an athlete and then let them pick the sport that they want to
play. Pretty much an athlete can play any sport if you teach them the correct skills. Some kids start so late that their chance of catching up with the other kids is not going to happen.”
Earl’s tip for parents that want their kids to play sports is “The earlier the better to start training. If you want your child to be involved with sports, start at 5 and 6, so they can learn hand feet eye coordination, speed and agility. Don’t wait until they are 14 and 15 years old.”
Every kid that comes in Max Speed Performance & Fitness is evaluated. They have a fitness and wellness program for all kids. “Some kids come in with athletic abilities and some don’t,” Earl said.
Max Speed Performance & Fitness has three levels: Pre-Max, Standard Max and Prime Max. Pre-max is the process of getting them in shape and to prepare them for Standard Max.
“They’ve got to walk before they can run,” he said.
The Pre-Max level time is different for all kids. Some kids can take three months, and some come in ready.
“You can see a major difference, Earl says.
On day one of an athlete’s training, the trainer completes an evaluation called the Max Speed Warm-up.
The warm-up allows the coaches to see the deficiencies in the athlete. This concept allows the coaches to see how kids are moving, see their athletic ability, see if they have good endurance, balance and hand eye feet coordination.
“Max Speed Performance & Fitness warmup is done every single day by every athlete. It lets us know how they are performing. Are they getting better? Are they performing?”
“When they start mastering that warm-up, then you start seeing a major change in the kids,” he said. “Any drill that we do they can easily do too. Then we start looking at how many reps you can do, and how long you can do the reps, and how long you can perfect that drill. That is the same thing you are going to see on the field, the court or wherever they are playing their sport of choice. Now you start seeing that athletic ability coming out; you start seeing that endurance showing up; and you start seeing that confidence.”
“Our programs are built on confidence,” he continued.
“New kids may look at our website and Instagram page (@page)and get intimidated because they see top kids performing. But they need to realize that those kids didn’t start there.”
Max Speed Performance & Fitness has eight coaches between two locations: Lugoff and Northeast Columbia off of Sparkleberry Lane Ext. The mission of Max Speed Performance & Fitness is “Training our youth today for
a brighter tomorrow.” Many of their students have outstanding their students have outstanding performances and continue to performances and continue to compete on the collegiate level compete on the collegiate level with scholarships. with scholarships.
Max Speed Performance & Fitness also hosts large competitions. A few of the upcoming competitions are the AAU State Qualifier on June 1-2, 2024 at Westwood High School; the MaxSpeed/TeamBlaze Invitational to be held on June 8, 2024
open to any and all athletes at Spring Valley High School; and Spring Valley High School; and AAU Regional Junior Olympic AAU Regional Junior Olympic Qualifier held June 27-30, 2024 Qualifier held June 27-30,2024 at Spring Valley High School. at Spring Valley High School.
Max Speed Performance & Fitness accepts students ages 5-19; For more information or to schedule an appointment visit their website www. maxspeedfitness.com or Email maxspeedperformancefitness@gmail.com.
Almost four years ago, Congress established a little-known program called the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Since it was created, the program provided millions of Americans with affordable, high-quality internet. It never got much attention, but it’s impact on communities across the country including in South Carolina was enormous.
Launched by the Federal Trade Commission, the program provided eligible households with a discount on internet service of up to $30 every month to bridge the digital divide. Just this year alone, 415,680 families in South Carolina relied on the program, which averaged to about one in five households in the state. In total, the program saved people in South Carolina over 12 million dollars each month on internet service.
Despite widespread support for the program, its funding expired last month. As elected officials representing Silicon Valley, the tech hub of the world, and Chester, Fairfield, and Richland, predominantly Black counties that have struggled with reliable internet, we are fighting to raise awareness about rising internet bills for families and extend the program for another four years.
The ACP is too important to just let it expire without a fight. When bills come due this month and 23 million American households are suddenly slapped with an additional cost, the people who will hurt the most are our seniors, young students, people in rural areas or food deserts, and those who rely on the internet for activity and a sense of community.
For many older Americans, the internet is a lifeline. It lets them talk with loved ones, learn about essential services and benefits, and access healthcare information online. Without affordable internet access, seniors may feel lonelier and more disconnected, lowering their enjoyment and quality of life.
Young people will also be hit especially hard by the program ending. COVID highlighted the importance of online educational resources and in an era where technology shapes every aspect of our lives, students need to prepare for jobs in a digital economy. Both of us believe we need to ensure that the next generation has access to good jobs and opportunities and a shot at the American Dream. But we can’t prepare these students for the high paying tech jobs and advanced manufacturing jobs of the future if they don’t have internet access. The internet allows individuals to take advantage of at home remote and virtual trainings.
Another impacted group includes those living in rural areas far away from doctors, hospitals or pharmacies. The stories we heard before this program were heartbreaking. People were driving for miles and miles just to pick up their medication. Telemedicine provides another, much easier way to receive medical care through remote consultations to prescription refills that can be delivered directly to their homes. People living in food deserts face a similar situation when it comes to ordering groceries and other necessities. Ripping this access away deepens already existing disparities in both healthcare and nutrition.
At any age and in any location, people turn to the internet to find community and make friends. It’s become an essential place particularly for people who may experience discrimination or bullying at school. People with specific hobbies like playing an instrument or running have been able to connect and form bands or running clubs. The ACP empowered people to find likeminded people and pursue their passions and interests online.
The ACP program has improved the lives of millions and opened a new world of social connections, health benefits, education opportunities and good paying jobs in South Carolina and nationwide. All of us need to speak out now to raise awareness and explore new solutions to protect affordable internet access for all.
Annie McDaniel (Democratic Party) is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 41. Congressman Ro Khanna, 46, is a Representative of California’s 17th District.
Slow down this weekend. You can drive 65-70 and arrive at your destination just the same as driving 75-80. Take your time and converse some with your passengers. Enjoy the drive and scenery. There are lots of crazy drivers on the nation’s highway. People will pass you going 90 mph. Motorcycles will weave in and out of traffic. People will ride your bumper and honk their horns at you. Let them go and focus on your own driving. So many people will be on the highway this weekend that it’s critical to not be in a hurry. Leave early so you don’t have to hurry. Be sure you are packed the day before you start out. Have everything ready before you go to bed at night. Don’t try to do anything extra the day you are traveling.
Cemetery time. It’s nice to have all the graves decorated on Memorial Day. The main point is to decorate your family graves when you can. Your deceased
family would not want you to have a heart attack over decorating their grave. This is one reason why some people are cremated today – so the remaining family won’t have to stress out about grave maintenance and decoration although, most choose cremation because of cost. You can put flowers on a grave in April or June. Why not select an off day when you can really take the time to visit your family graves and update your remembrances? If you decorate in a hurry then you are going to miss out on the joy of doing it right.
Honor and remember our soldiers this weekend. Remember those who paid the ultimate price so that you and I can be out and about enjoying the holiday.
Whatever you do this weekend, soak in your time. Wherever you are, be all there and savor the moment.
open to any and all athletes at